Large City theme sets often make my wish list. While I am not a fan of many small builds, or even the open-back design of many of these sets, the signs, accessories, and building facades normally inspire me. The Ski Resort (60203) checked off all those boxes. In this week’s review, we take a closer look at the set.
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SKI RESORT (60203) SUMMARY
- NAME: Ski Resort
- SET #: 60203
- THEME: City
- COST: $119.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 806
- MINIFIGURES: 11
- RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2019
SKI RESORT (60203) QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 80% (Relatively average cost-per-brick and build-time value.)
- BUILD: 80% (Good overall but needs extra detail in places.)
- MINIFIGURES: 89% (Lots of Minifigures, good for populating city scenes.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 90% (Built for play, not really for the adult collector.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 85%
SKI RESORT (60203) REVIEW
VALUE: 80%
In Canada, the Ski Resort set costs $119.99 at full price. With 806 bricks, the cost-per-brick comes down to about $0.15. Comparatively, my average cost-per-brick is $0.14. Therefore, you are paying slightly more than average for pieces in this kit, but not exorbitantly so. I rate that at 78%.
In terms of build time, I assembled this set in two hours and 30 minutes. Therefore, each minute of build time cost me $0.80. By comparison, my current average cost-per-minute is $0.84. So, this set is a little better than average, earning a score of 82%. Averaging this score with the cost-per-brick gives an overall value grade of 80%.
BUILD: 80%
As with many larger City sets, Ski Resort comprises multiple little builds. My least favorite is the helicopter. There is not anything specifically wrong with the helicopter. However, there is nothing special about it either. These little helicopters are a dime a dozen in LEGO® City sets. The reason for their inclusion in most of these large kits is beyond me. I remember leaving my dark age and reading a review of another large City set. The small helicopter in the kit bothered the reviewer. He said he was fed-up of getting them. At the time, freshly returned to LEGO® as a hobby, I remember not feeling the same way. Now, I see his point.
All ski resorts need a ski patrol. Similarly, all ski patrols need snowmobiles. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that you also assemble a snowmobile in this set. Additionally, the snowmobile has a little trailer attached with a stretcher on top. Carting injured skiers and boarders off the slopes is easier in that fashion. As a snowmobile, this one is satisfactory. However, there are brick-built “tracks” supporting the rear underside. I wish that an actual track assembly was there instead. This brick version is unconvincing. Freeing up bricks by ditching the helicopter would have helped in that regard.
As far as major negatives with the Ski Resort, that is about it. You build a small ski patrol SUV with a snow plough in front. It has the same color scheme as the Ambulance Helicopter from 2017 (as does the snowmobile). So, they go nicely together. If you take the snow plough off, this truck can serve as a neat, all-season first responder truck in your LEGO® city.
Next up, there is a halfpipe for snowboarders. It is like the skateboard park build from Capital City. Much like in its predecessor, I wish there was more of a surface on the top of either end. Otherwise, it has actual steps leading up, which is an improvement over the skateboard park.
The final small build is a hot chocolate stand. With a wreath hanging off one side, it is very Christmas-y. However, it comes with a neat menu sticker. While the build does not have much substance, it is fun, and the signs have great repurposing value in MOCs.
The sports store was my main reason for wanting this set. It did not disappoint. While it is small and open-backed, it also has a surprising amount of detail. The façade is nice, and I enjoyed the log ends sticking out near the roof. Additionally, a small sign outside advertises the items on sale in the window displays. Inside, most of the products are what you see in the windows from outside. However, there is also a set of skis on the wall, and a cash register. I like that the set uses actual Minifigure accessories as products as opposed to stickers on the walls. I have long imagined a MOC sports store in my LEGO® city, and this gave me some inspiration.
The largest of the builds is the ski patrol chalet. The ground floor includes a first aid station, while the top is an office and equipment space. The interior is not overly detailed, but still detailed enough for a set of this type. However, the top floor has a bit of wasted space as there is no actual floor on either side of the office. The detailing outside is nice though. I especially like the Mount Clutchmore sign. It provides continuity with the Outdoor Adventures people pack, which took place at the same mountain.
Overall, I like the main builds in this set. The sports store is my favorite. As far as the smaller builds go, the hot chocolate stand is fun, and the snowmobile is a necessary piece for realism. However, re-purposing the helicopter bricks elsewhere for added detail would have been a better use of bricks. Large City sets often have having too many small builds and not enough detail in larger ones. Ski Resort is not the worst for that, but still falls into the trap. It loses a mark for that. Additionally, another mark goes because of lack of detail in objects like the snowmobile and the second floor of the chalet. In the end, I rate this build at 8/10 (80%).
MINIFIGURES: 89%
Ski Resort comes with eleven Minifigures. While two of them are stubby-legged children, the remainder come with all the standard Minifigure parts. Additionally, all have front and back torso printing. However, only one of the characters comes with a double-sided face, and none have any leg printing. There are a lot of regular townsfolk in this kit, which is not a bad thing. They are great for filling out city scenes. There are also three paramedic uniforms. Probably the most interesting bit is the new female ski helmet with a ponytail sticking out from underneath it. Other accessories also abound. There are about 30 little inclusions, including skis, snowboards, two-way radios, mugs, ice picks, and hats to name a few. All together, I rate the Minifigure design in this kit at 137/165 (83%).
Eleven Minifigures in a kit containing 806 bricks equates to a brick-to-fig ration of 73-to-1. Therefore, you are getting an excellent number of Minifigures for a kit of this size. Comparatively, my average brick-to-fig ratio currently sits at 145-to-1. Consequently, I rate the ratio score at 95%. Averaging this with the design score yields an overall Minifigure grade of 89%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 90%
I am an adult collector keen on building up my LEGO® city. From that perspective, the Ski Resort set offers inspiration. However, nothing comes ready out of the box for insertion in my city. I like the sports store and chalet facades, but they will need some customization. While I enjoy that process, this set still loses a mark for not being modular and ready to use in my city. I rate the out-of-box entertainment of this sets for adults at 4/5 (80%).
Kids get some fun builds that are play ready. The open backs that make this set less ideal for me allow easy access for play. City is one of the LEGO® Group’s top selling themes, so there is demand for sets of this nature as well. As a kid, Ski Resort would have found a place in my little LEGO® town. I rate the KFOL score at 100%. Averaging the AFOL and KFOL scores gives an overall entertainment grade of 90%.
OVERALL SCORE: 85%
Ski Resort made it onto my wish list when I first heard about it. However, I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. The value is average, which is good for a City theme set. The main builds have inspired some MOC projects and have enough detail for a set of this size. More detail in the smaller builds could have been possible by leaving out the helicopter all together. Finally, you get a lot of Minifigures. While they are not overly detailed, everyone needs city fillers. Ski Resort is a solid buy, even at full price. Do you have any thoughts regarding this set? Be sure to leave them in the comments below or shout out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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